


The Heart of Nations

by Saud



Category: Avatar (TV), Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Chief Korra, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Marriage Proposal, Minor Original Character(s), Misunderstandings, Original Character(s), Trans Female Character, Trans Kya
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-06 09:49:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11598123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saud/pseuds/Saud
Summary: Expands on the relationships of Korra and Assami, and Kya and Izumi. No fighting action, just domestic life and political tensions. Post-canon.





	1. Tradition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra has been going on frequent trips to the Southern Water Tribe. Asami is worried something is wrong, and confronts her about it.

Korra has made three trips to the Southern Water tribe in as many months. Each time, Asami has asked whether Korra would like her to go with her. Each time, Korra has made some excuse.

"It's just some official Water Tribe business. It'll be boring."

"I just want to visit my family. I didn't get to see them at all last time; I was too busy."

"My dad just asked me to come. I don't know why. I'll be back soon."

Each time, Asami has kissed her goodbye and pretended to believe her excuses. But a low, simmering hurt has been growing inside her.

Why did Korra not want her there? Did Korra's parents not like her? Was it because she complained too much about the cold when she was there? She'd  _tried_ not to, but it was just  _so cold_. Asami had felt uncomfortable pretty much the entire visit last year. They hadn't even let Korra and Asami sleep in the same igloo, much less the same room. She'd been forced to sleep in Korra's aunt's igloo, sharing a room with her three small children. Asami had never wished to be a Firebender more than on those six long, cold nights without Korra there to keep her warm.

"It's tradition," Korra had explained, "They don't let couples sleep in the same igloo until they're betrothed. Then they can't even sleep in the same room until they're  _married_."

A thought occurred to Asami that made her heart ache: What if Korra was spending so much time away because she didn't want to be with Asami anymore?

Korra was always happier when she returned from her trips than when she left. What if Korra was happier when she's away from Asami? The thought comes like a punch to the gut. What if she doesn't want to break up with Asami because, after three years of dating, she doesn't want to hurt Asami's feelings? What if she thinks it will be easier to stretch their bond thin with distance first before breaking it? Asami doesn't want to even consider it. Being with Korra has made her the happiest she's ever been. She loves Korra more than she loves breathing.

That's why Asami has made up her mind to talk to her, lay out and explain her feelings.

She's waiting at the docks for Korra's ship to come in. The cold salt spray dusts her cheeks.

She sees it, there in the distance, a wooden ship cutting through the fog. Warmth unfurls inside her chest, and her arms tingle, knowing that soon they'll be around Korra.

She watches the ship approach, the wind whipping at her hair and stinging her eyes. She pulls her coat tighter around herself.

The ship slides into the dock. She sees Korra on the deck, waving frantically at her with a wide smile. Asami waves back. Korra disappears into the ship and Asami waits while the gangway is lowered. People step out, mostly traders in thick jackets. Then Asami hears the heavy footfalls of Naga coming out of the dark. Korra is sitting on Naga's back, her trunk tied to the giant polar bear dog. She jumps down and runs to Asami, arms out, tackling her in a tight hug, her arms around Asami's shoulders. Then her hands shift to the sides of Asami's face and she pulls her down into a kiss.

"What's wrong?" Korra asks as she pulls away from the kiss, her eyebrows pulling together.

"Nothing, I--" Asami starts, letting go of Korra.

"'Sami," Korra interrupts, crossing her arms.

"Can we talk about it when we get home?"

"Alright," Korra says, giving her a questioning look. She turns and climbs back onto Naga. Asami climbs up after her, wrapping her hands loosely around Korra's waist.

"How was your trip?" Asami asks as Naga pads through the streets towards Asami's house -- their house.

"It was okay," Korra says, "I missed you."

Asami's spirits rise a little. Maybe Korra _is_ _n't_ planning to break up with her after all.

"I missed you too."

After a couple blocks of walking, with people staring up at them (one of them shouting "Hey, isn't that the Avatar?"), Asami breaks the silence again. "What did your father want to tell you?" she asks.

She feels Korra stiffen in front of her.

"Well, um, actually," Korra begins, laughing once, "It wasn't him who needed to see me. I needed to see him. I needed his help."

"What did you need his help with?" Asami asks, feeling a twinge in her stomach at the knowledge that Korra had lied to her.

"We're going to be home just now," Korra says, jutting her chin out to the long narrow house they were approaching, "Can we talk about it then?"

"Alright," Asami says, feeling her stomach writhe as if she had snakes for intestines.

* * *

"Okay, you first," Korra says as they stand in their living room.

Asami takes a deep breath.

"I love you," she begins, "but lately you've been gone so often. And you don't even want me to come with you. It makes me feel like you don't want to be around me."

Korra frowns and reaches out for Asami's hand, stroking the back of it with her thumb.

"Oh, Asami," Korra says, "I'm sorry I made you feel that way." She sighs, "Okay, so, this isn't how I wanted to tell you," she continues, and the snakes in Asami's stomach feel like they're tangling into knots, "but the first time I left it was because the Southern Water Tribe Council summoned me."

"What?" Asami says, "Why?"

"They offered me the position of Chief, when my father dies."

"Whoa, really?" Asami says. Then she frowns, "How come you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't know if I was going to accept. I didn't want to tell you unless I was sure. I didn't want to put pressure on you."

_Pressure? What pressure? The pressure of being a chief's girlfriend didn't seem like it would be much different from the pressure of being the Avatar's girlfriend._

"If I became Chief," Korra says, "I'd have to live in the South Pole, at least for a huge chunk of the year. And even when I was away, I'd have to be prepared to return at a moment's notice. I didn't want to ask you to choose between your home and me, your _business_ and me, until I was certain. I told them I would have to think about it, because I had duties as the Avatar as well as to my people... and I was going to tell you. But then, only a few days after I came back, Eska and Desna summoned me to the Northern Water Tribe. I couldn't say no; I'm as much Northern as I am Southern Water Tribe, by blood. If my father hadn't been disinherited, I would be in line to be the Northern Chief.

"They told me that their Tribe was having trouble functioning with two chiefs. Their people didn't see either of them as a full authority. They went to one to undermine the other. And when they disagreed with each other, nothing got done. Neither of them wanted to push the other out of power. Neither would agree to take it for themselves. So, they agreed that they had to hand it to someone else. They said they wanted that 'someone else' to be me, that I was the only other person who had a right to claim the title of Chief of the Northern Water Tribe."

"Oh no," Asami says.

"Yeah," Korra agrees, letting go of Asami's hand, "I told them that the Southern Water Tribe had already asked me to succeed my father, and that I had a duty to them, because they were the ones who raised me, and my father was their Chief. Then they said they already knew, and they'd agreed with my father and both Councils that it would be a good thing to have one chief again, that it would unify us, and I had a claim to both titles. They said, if I accepted, I would be Chief of the Northern Water Tribe until my father dies, and then I will be Chief of both Water Tribes. I would be the first Chief with Tribe with the blood of both Tribes in me. I would be the first Avatar Chief. I would be the first woman Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

"They said that, if I accepted, I would have to spend four months a year living in the North Pole, then, when my father died, another four in the south, with four to live in Republic City, exercising my duty as the Avatar."

"Wow," Asami says, "That's a lot to take in."

"I know," Korra says, looking down. "That's not all."

 _Oh no_ , Asami thinks,  _Is she going to tell me that the Chief of the Water Tribes can't marry an outsider?_

"I knew, if I was going to be Chief of the Northern Water Tribe, I had to follow their traditions as well as the ones I'd grown up with... You know how Kya is from the Southern Water Tribe?"

"Yeah," Asami says.

"Well, in the Southern Water Tribe we don't have betrothal necklaces. That's from the North. But Kya's part North, her great-grandmother, Kanna, was Northern Water Tribe. Katara made sure to teach her children both traditions, and the North was a part of Kya's heritage that she felt deeply connected to, so when she proposed to Fire Lord Izumi, she did it with a betrothal necklace, and then Izumi made one for her too. For them it was a choice... but for me it isn't. If I am even considering being the Northern Water Tribe chief, and if I want to marry you, one of us has to give the other a betrothal necklace."

Asami's pulse picks up at the word 'marry'.

"I've wanted to propose to you for so long. I even brought my grandmother's ring back after we visited my parents last year... but right when I was ready to use it I found out I couldn't... And I didn't know anything about how to make a betrothal necklace. That's why I left this last time, to go ask my father to teach me how to make one."

"Really?" Asami says, her voice small.

Korra smiles.

"Do you want to see it?"

Asami doesn't know why, but tears start spilling from her eyes.

Korra reaches into her pocket and pulls out a deep blue ribbon. Hanging from it is a smooth, flat stone.

Asami takes the necklace by the stone, running her thumb over the image carved into the front; a spark. She smiles.

Korra puts her hand on Asami's cheek.

"Asami Sato, the smartest and most beautiful person in the world, the other half of my soul, will you marry me?" Korra whispers.

"Yes!" Asami shouts, choking down a sob. She throws her arms around Korra's shoulders. Korra puts one arm around Asami's waist, slipping her other hand into Asami's hair. Minutes later, when they part, tears stain both their cheeks. Korra takes the necklace from Asami and reaches around her neck to fasten it, kissing her cheek softly as she does so.

Sniffling, Asami reaches into a pocket of her jacket, fishes out a small scarlet drawstring pouch.

"I've been carrying this around for ages," Asami says.

She pulls the pouch open.

"Korra," she says, reaching inside, "Avatar, my best friend, the love of my life, and the strongest, most gorgeous person in the world, will you marry me?" She pulls a silver ring with a red stone embedded in it from the pouch.

"There's nothing in the world that could make me say no," Korra says, holding out her hand. Asami slips the ring onto Korra's finger and holds her hand. She brings it to her red-painted lips and kisses it.

Then she pulls korra to a chair, onto her lap. Asami holds her, Korra's head resting against Asami's chest. Asami smiles as she strokes her hair.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: A look into Kya and Izumi's life.


	2. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra accepts Eska and Desna's offer to become the Northern Water Tribe chief. Korra and Asami go to spend four months at the north pole. The heads of the other three nations and their families come to congratulate her. This is chapter follows the Fire Nation royal family as they sail towards the north pole.

Kya stands back in the moving crowd, listening, unnoticed. There is a man in the centre of the square with pale skin and long hair.

"This is an invasion." he shouts at the crowd, "It was bad enough for the name of our great nation's ruler _mean_  'water', but then she had to go and make that water-wench the crown princess. Fire Lord Izumi's father was a traitor and so is she! Then she birthed that abomination to the thrown! I knew as soon as it was born and it looked just like the water-wench what it would be. Who among us is going to make Fire Lord Izumi see reason? Who is going to make her see that a waterbender cannot sit the Fire Nation throne? We, her subjects, must show her that we will not stand for this, that she must name her second son, Iroh, the future Fire Lord. She won't do it willingly! She is colluding with the Water Nation. Soon they will have a united leader, with far too much power. They will have the Avatar! And a waterbender will be the Fire Lord. Together they will control half the world. We cannot let--"

He continues shouting but Kya stops listening. Izumi had told her if she came to the main square at noon she would see something that would give her hope, and she sees it. The hope is in the crowd. They are not listening to the raving man. They are walking past him without looking, giving him a wide berth. Some even shake their heads as they pass him.

She smirks as she turns away, the hood of her red cloak held low around her face. The Fire Nation subjects don't hate her. They don't hate her son, Hakoda.

The chuckles softly to herself as she remembers when the head of the palace guard sat her down after her betrothal to Izumi, and said, her face and voice stiff, "You must ensure the first child born to your family is born to Izumi. We cannot have their right to rule questioned."

Kya had laughed at her.

"Well," she had responded, "I am not capable of giving birth to children, but I'm sure I will be able to make them with Princess Izumi."

"What?" Ty An had said, then a blush crept to her cheeks, "Ah, I see," she'd said afterwards, then smiled meekly.

* * *

"You were right; it did give me hope" she tells her wife as their children help the palace servants load their trunks onto the ship. Izumi has taught them to be humble, that as the princes and princess of the Fire Nation they are the servants of their people, of all their people; the servants of their servants.

Izumi smiles down at her wife, the grey morning light glinting off her teeth and her golden crown.

"I found out about it through complaints. Some people asked me to have him arrested."

"But you won't," Kya says.

"I won't," Izumi agrees, "Being the Fire Lord means you have to have thick skin. Even when the vitriol affects you, you must pretend it doesn't. Let the bigots see what wounds you and they will know which weapons to sharpen."

"I couldn't agree more," Kya says, smiling up at her wife.

A few moments later, everything is loaded and they're climbing aboard the ship.

Kya's just glad they're not taking an airship. She hates the jostling turbulence of flying. Even after years of taking trips on Appa. She never quite got used to it. She far prefers the calming motion of the sea.

An hour into the journey, she goes up to the top deck. She closes her eyes, breathes in the salty air that reminds her of home, and when she opens them she sees her elder son and her daughter. He's at the bow of the ship, practising Southern Waterbending forms. He moves like a Fire Bender, all sudden, angular motions. But still, the water rises for him, a sharp-crested wave running snake-like motions before the ship.

His sister, Ursa, leans over edge, watching his wave dance, get sliced to shreds by the sharp nose of the ship, rise and dance again.

She remembers how hard he'd fought against being a waterbender. He'd hide from Kya when she'd try to teach him the forms. He'd run to Izumi, stand in beside Iroh as he trained. And Izumi would let him. "We force him away and he'll just fight his way in harder," she'd said. Hakoda had mastered the basic Fire Bending moves before his brother, as if, by sheer force of will, he could become a Fire Bender.

Kya knew how he felt. As a child, she always felt a stronger connection to her mother, but she would look at Tenzin, at how much attention their father paid him, and think that she was not the son he'd wanted, the child he needed if the Air Nomads were to survive. "I know what it's like to fight against who you are," Kya had told him one day when he was eight years old, "but it's a fight you cannot win."

"I know," he'd said. His eyes -- golden like Izumi's -- shining with tears.

Shortly after that he'd come to accept that he was a waterbender. But still, his movements were sharp, not smooth. At first Kya had tried to correct this, but then she'd realized it was just his way. It worked for him. He was a good waterbender... though he could never get the hang of freezing water. Boiling was more his thing. He was able to turn a bucket of water into searing steam in seconds.

"Keep practising and maybe one day you'll be half as good as your mom," Kya says.

Hakoda turns and grins at her.

"Come on," he says, "I think I'm at least three-quarters as good as you."

"You wish."

* * *

That evening, when Kya goes down to her and Izumi's chambers, Izumi is sitting up in bed, her glasses on, reading a Republic City newspaper. Without her formal tunic on, Izumi's betrothal necklace is visible over her tank top. She runs her thumb over it idly as she reads.

Kya climbs into bed, sitting up beside Izumi. Kya groans softly. Her arms ache from her mock waterbending battle with Hakoda. She'd never admit it to him, but he is at least three-quarters as good as her.

After a few minutes Izumi folds the newspaper and places it on the bedside table, her glasses on top of it. Her greying hair is loose, without its crown, but to Kya she still looks royal.

Izumi turns to Kya and smiles.

"I can't believe that little girl who called me 'Aunt Zuzu' until she was ten is going to be Chief."

"I can," Kya says.

"I wonder how she's doing with the stress of being both the Avatar and the Northern Water Tribe Chief."

"We'll find out in a few days," Kya says. "If anyone can handle it, Korra can."

"Yeah," Izumi agrees, looking off at nothing.

Then, quite suddenly, Kya says "Have I told you lately that you're beautiful?"

Izumi laughs (really it would be more fitting to call it a giggle if giggling were becoming of Fire Lords, "Oh, come on."

"No really. You're radiant," Kya says, partly just to see how deeply she can make Izumi blush.

Izumi laughs again then kisses her softly. She places a hand on Kya's leg.

"Did you lock the door?" she asks.

Kya gets up to make sure she did.

 


	3. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kya, Izumi, and family arrive at the North Pole.

On the morning of their tenth day at sea, Kya wakes up feeling cold.

A peaceful cold. One she remembers from childhood. She throws on clothes and rushes to the top deck.

Her middle son is on deck, hands clasped behind his back in his mauve Fire Navy uniform. On duty, then.

He turns as she runs to the very tip of the bow.

"Mom?" he says, the stern impassiveness falling from his face to reveal weary concern.

"Yes, son?" she answers, then closes her eyes and takes a deep breath of the icy, salty air. She's thrown back into memories of the best parts of her childhood -- when her mother would take her on trips to the Northern and Southern Tribes so she could learn waterbending from the best.

"Are you okay?" He asks, this time from close behind her.

She opens her eyes to the white pads of ice floating in the turquoise water. She inhales and the sea rises almost imperceptibly beneath the ship, exhales and it ebbs just slightly.

"I'm perfect," Kya says. 

Later that morning they all stand on deck: Izumi, Kya, Hakoda, Iroh, and Ursa. They're approaching the gate of the Northern Water Tribe.

Soon they can see the blue-cloaked warriors standing on the walls, ready to lower the portcullis.

Kya thinks about how, just half a century ago, they would not have opened the gate to a Fire Nation ship for anything, how the only way a water bender would be on-board one was as a prisoner.

They've come so far.

The gate lowers with the crunching of snow and ice. Korra is among the warriors. She beams and waves at them as their ship passes. Kya waves back. She chuckles at the image of the Council sitting Korra down and telling her she had to act more regal as Chief and her telling them where to stuff it.

Minutes later, Korra is out of breath when she greets them as they depart the ship. She bows to Izumi and Kya. As far as Kya can tell it's not a mockery.

"Fire Lord Izumi, Princesses Kya and Ursa, Princes Hakoda and Iroh, welcome to the Northern Water Tribe," Korra says. Then she smiles at them.

"Chief Korra," Izumi says. She holds out a small box, "A gift, for congratulations on your betrothal. From myself and the Fire Temple. It belonged to my great-great grandfather, Avatar Roku."

"Woah," Korra says, taking the box, "Thank you."

"Aunt Kya!" someone shouts from the distance, somewhere behind Korra. Meelo comes soaring towards her on a ball of air, Rohan not far behind, sliding on a crackling like of ice that he creates as he goes.

They both bowl into her, nearly knocking her over.

Kya laughs.

Tenzin comes running up to them.

"Sorry about that," he says as he pulls the two boys off of her. He's not apologizing to Kya, she notices by the way his eyes dart from Izumi to Korra.

Meelo and Rohan wriggle away from their father, each darting in separate directions.

Izumi pats Rohan on his head, stopping him in his tracks as Meelo wheels away on his air scooter.

"My, you've grown," she says.

"Yeah!" Rohan says, "I'm a waterbender now."

"So I can see," Izumi says. Then he pushes her hand away and runs to Hakoda.

"Show me how to do the water-snake," he pleads, tugging at Hakoda's jacket.

"Um," Hakoda says, making eye contact with Izumi. Izumi looks to Korra, deferring to her.

"Oh, let them go!" Korra says, smiling.

Rohan tugs Hakoda away.

"Ursa, have you been keeping up with your airbending practice?"

"Heck yeah," Ursa says. To demonstrate, she brings her arms back then pushes them forward, producing a gust of air so powerful it knocks Tenzin back a step and almost onto his butt.

"Impressive," Jinora says. She's just turned a corner and into view. Behind her follow Ikki, Pema, and a toddler holding Pema's hand.

Ikki runs into Kya hard enough to knock the wind out of her, and hugs her tight enough to prevent her lungs from expanding.

"It's so nice to see you, Aunt Kya," Ikki says as she lets Kya go

"It's nice to see you too, Ikki," Kya responds, trying not to sound out of breath.

Ikki's hair is cropped short from when it was shaved last month for her airbender tattoos. She's fourteen now and as tall as her mother.

"Say hello to your Aunt Kya and Aunt Izumi and your cousins, Sanna," Pema says as she lets go of the little girl's hand.

Sanna totters directly into Izumi, wrapping her chubby arms around Izumi's legs and looking up at her with dark brown eyes.

"Hello," Sanna says, her voice muffled by Izumi's robes.

"I think this one will finally be a non-bender," Pema speculates as Izumi bends and picks Sanna up.

"If she's not I guess you'll have to have another," Korra says.

"No!" Pema and Tenzin shout in unison.

"Five is enough," Pema says.

"Too much," Tenzin whispers.

The sound of laughter fills the air as Meelo wheels towards them on his air scooter, looking back at Naga who's chasing him, her tail wagging furiously behind her.

He slams right into Tenzin, knocking him flat on his face in the snow.

"Oops," Meelo says.

Kya and Korra start laughing in unison.


	4. Union

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With their closest friends gathered, Korra and Asami make an announcement.

The representatives from the newly formed Earth Republic arrive later that day.

"Nice to see you again, Governor Moon," Korra says, holding out her hand.

"Nice to see you too, Chief Korra," Zhu Li responds soberly, shaking Korra's hand. Then she smiles. After it came to light that Zhu Li was instrumental in infiltrating Kuvira's inner circle and taking her down, she was begged to run for office by the people of the state which contained the town she'd grown up in in the former Earth Kingdom. She had run unopposed.

As Korra and Zhu Li shake hands, Asami and Verrick shake hands then Verrick kisses Asami loudly on the cheek.

"If it isn't the great Chief Avatar Korra!" Verrick says, curtsying so low the bottom of his coat skims the snow, then rising to shake Korra's hand vigorously.

"Verrick," Korra says, suppressing the urge to laugh.

"Korra!" Bolin shouts. "Sorry, Chief Korra," he amends, giving her a firm hand shake.

"Hi,  _Governor_ Bolin," Korra says. Then she hugs him tightly. Bolin had a harder time than Zhu Li winning his election. His opponent, a woman named Merrin, kept reminding the public of his ties to Kuvira. Bolin had to talk about how he'd been wrong, and had learned and grown and changed -- how in the end he'd helped to stop Kuvira -- more times than Korra could count.

After shaking hands, Zhu Li and Asami are whispering together and Korra can't tell what they're saying.

Prince -- no, Governor -- Wu approaches with Mako at his side. Wu shakes Korra's hand as Mako and Bolin greet Asami.

"Congratulations, Avatar Korra, on becoming Chief of the Northern Water Tribe, and on your engagement."

"Thank you," Korra says, "And congratulations on winning your state's election, Governor Wu."

"Why thank you," Wu says, smiling widely. He seems to have calmed down by at least ten notches since she'd last seen him three years ago. He's tolerable, maybe even likeable now.

He goes to shake Asami's hand and then suddenly Mako is standing in front of her. He's grown a bit taller since she last saw him. He's sprouting some grey hairs near his temple. She supposes being a governor's body guard would put a toll on anyone.

"Hi Korra," Mako says. Then he smiles with a closed mouth. "Congratulations," he continues, "You're Chief now, that's... huge. And you're engaged. That's also pretty... huge."

"Yeah," Korra says, hugging him.

And just like that they're all together again.

* * *

That afternoon Korra hears yelling. She's in a meeting with two people, trying to resolve a familial hunting-ground dispute, so she tries to ignore it, but then she recognises the yelling voice as Mako's.

"Excuse me a moment," she tells the two people. As soon as she exits the room she rushes outside.

"But I'm his bodyguard!" Mako shouts, "How am I supposed to  _guard_ his _body_  if I can't even stay in the same  _building_ as him?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but--" the guard Mako was yelling at stops talking as he sees Korra approach. "Chief Korra," the guard says, standing up straighter. Mako and Wu turn to stare wide-eyed at Korra.

"What's the problem?" she asks, crossing her arms.

"They say I can't stay with Wu," Mako says, shooting the guard a glare, "But how am I supposed to do my job and protect him  _when I can't even stay in the same building as him_?"

"Oh," Korra says, "Well... isn't it accepted that a warrior who is assigned to protect a person may stay in the same house as them even if they're courting them?"

"I... I guess," the guard says.

"Well, great, then. Mako can stay in the same house as Governor Wu," she tells the guard, "just not in the same room," she adds to Mako and Wu.

"Thank you, Chief Korra," Wu says, then smiles. He claps Mako's shoulder then walks away into the ice building Mako and the guard had been arguing in front of.

The guard walks away, puffs of smoke rising from his mouth as he mutters under his breath.

"So," Korra says to Mako, struggling to hold back a smile, "You and Wu?"

Mako kicks up some snow. "Yeah," he confirms.

"How long?" Korra asks, raising an eyebrow.

Mako looks up at her, "Couple months," he says, "and I know what you're thinking. He's immature and giddy and childish... but this past year he's been different. I think he's matured a lot since becoming a governor and having actual responsibilities."

"Yeah," Korra agrees, "He seems less... giddy. He used to act like a kid with no impulse control, but now he's acting like the adult he is."

"Yeah," Mako says. Then he chuckles, "If you'd told me three years ago I'd be dating him today I wouldn't know whether to be angry or offended. He's only two years younger than me but I used to see him as this annoying kid."

"That's probably how Asami saw me when she was teaching me to drive."

Mako laughs louder, "And you  _still_ can't drive!"

"Hey!" Korra says, "I can drive."

"Keep telling yourself that, Chief," he replies, still smiling as he walks away after Wu.

Korra sprints back to her meeting. She forces her face into a sombre expression as she approaches the closed door; eyebrows low, lips turned down slightly at the corners, jaw tight.

* * *

"I can't stand staying in that room alone. I'm pretty sure it's haunted," Asami says that evening when they're getting ready for dinner in the grand hall with all of their guests.

Korra chuckles.

"No, I'm serious."

"What do you want us to do, babe?" Korra asks, cupping Asami's cheek, "Get married right now?"

"I mean..." Asami says, a glint to her green eyes, "All of our friends are here. Your parents are on their way. We'd just have to invite Bumi, Toph and Lin, Suyin and her family."

"You're serious?" Korra asks, her hand moving from Asami's cheek to her shoulder.

"Yeah," Asami says, "When else is everyone we know going to be in one place?"

A short guard appears in the doorway, the same one Mako was arguing with earlier.

"Chief Korra, Asami, all of your guests have arrived."

They walk hand-in-hand to the dining hall. Korra can't help but notice how strategically the seating is laid out. Korra is ushered to the head of the table, with Asami to her right. Bolin is seated beside her, and his brother Mako beside him, with Wu beside Mako, then Zhu Li,then Varrick, then Pemma at the end of that side. Facing Korra in a place of honour is Tenzin. To the left of Korra, in another place of honour is Fire Lord Izumi, her wife beside her, then their kids in order of age. Ursa is placed next to Ikki, another airbender like herself, who is next to Jinora, who is to the right of her father. Meelo and Rohan aren't there. They are apparently too young for a formal dinner.

There is a feast laid out before them. Ikki is eyeing the seared green peppers.

"I know you're all eager to eat, but if you could just hold off for a moment, Asami and I have an announcement." Korra slips her hand around Asami's, "As you all know, we're betrothed." She turns to smile at Asami. who smiles back. "And we were thinking, 'Since so many people we love are in the same place... why don't we get married now?'"

Murmuring erupts around the table.

"Well, not _right_  now," Asami clarifies, "In a few days. We've already send out the invites to Toph and Lin and Suyin and her family."

"And Bolin and Katara," Korra adds.

"And Opal and Kai and the Acolytes."

"We hope you can all stay an extra few days."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, kid!" Varrick shouts from down the table.

Asami squeezes Korra's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next is the wedding... and a surprise!


End file.
